From the heart: Tech student-athletes log nearly 3,000 hours in community

Plenty of community service projects also planned in 2013

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- In addition to their successes on the playing fields and in the classrooms, Tennessee Tech student-athletes put forth an extraordinary effort in service to the people of Cookeville and the surrounding area during 2012.

Tech’s student-athletes logged nearly 3,000 hours at community events last year, ranging from the department’s flagship events such as Fall Fun Fest and the Cookeville Christmas Parade to service on an individual basis at local schools, on campus and around town. Department-wide service events where most teams took part included Fall Fun Fest, in which TTU has a booth and student-athletes interact with the children who participate in Stations of Imagination, Cooking on the Square, the Cookeville Christmas Parade and the Golden Eagle Scramble Fundraiser.

Each squad also participated in an Ohio Valley Conference sanctioned project called Hoops for Heroes in which athletes raised money to send local veterans and their families on an all-expenses paid weekend at the OVC Basketball Tournament in Nashville.

"We are all extremely proud of the extra work that our student-athletes and coaches put in, year-after-year, to participate in community services projects and events," said TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. "These are events that the kids really enjoy getting involved with. They not only represent the University and Athletics in a positive manner, but they also represent themselves as first-class young women and men.

"Some of our student-athletes wind up developing a strong interest in some of these projects, and find themselves getting involved beyond their time with their teammates," Wilson said. "That is truly gratifying, both to our staff and to the student-athletes."

Other examples of team-specific service included serving as mentors at local schools, helping with Upward Basketball at local churches, assisting students on Great Move-In Day, volunteering at Mustard Seed Ranch (a home for children who have been neglected, abused or orphaned), working at YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, reading to children and aiding teachers at local schools, helping set up and running in Race for the Park 5K to benefit Dogwood Park, assisting with Bark in the Park, participating in Operation Christmas Child, and promoting breast cancer awareness by hosting pink-themed matches or games.

“The amount of volunteer hours these athletes put in last year is amazing,” said Michelle Huddleston, TTU Service Coordinator who has overseen athletes serving on several projects. “In my experience with the athletes, they are very eager to help and many have become very fond of service. When given a required amount of hours, there have been many athletes who put extra hours in, just for fun and to help. It seems to give them a sense of leadership, ownership and accomplishment, showing genuine pride in what they are doing to serve.”

For information in bringing student-athletes to a community service inititiative, please call (931) 372-3940.

Here's a listing of events by sport, and the number of student-athletes who participated in each: